Thaipusam festivities (February 2012)

We were most fortunate to experience the festivities of Thaipusam. Thaipusam is an annual Hindu festival , observed on the day of the full moon during the Tamil month of Thai, celebrated in honour of Lord Murugan...
We headed to Little India in Georgetown, at 0430hrs to watch a chariot emerge from it's temple house garage, ( kovil veedu) on Penang St.

We observed the  blessings bestowed on it and the transportation of the golden statue of the deity Lord Murugan, from it's place across the street, to be enthroned inside it.

People smashed 250,000 coconuts onto the road , preceeding the 117 yr old silver chariot bearing the golden deity, which was followed by a procession of devotees.

 As the chariot crawled through the streets pulled by 2 Brahmin bulls, people offered gifts of flowers, fruits, joss sticks and money to the deity praying for health and success.

The Hindus believe that the coconut is the purest form of offering that one can render unto God. The outer fibres represent the jealousy, greed, lust , selfishness and other vices of man, which one must break up and remove to penetrate and reach the white inner purity and therefore taste the sweet untouched nectar of spiritual purity and bliss

Once the chariot had passed, the cleanup was swift with men sweeping the broken coconuts into heaps and 2 very efficient bobcats lifting the remains into trucks to be taken away.

The chariot continued through the day to it's destination some kms away to the Nattukotai Chettier temple on Waterfall Rd.
The next day we had another early start to catch the 0530hr Thaipusam bus to take us to Waterfall road

 Fellow cruisers from SV Aevntyr, Labarque, Anima and MV Yarrawa 11
We watched in awe as men had spears pierced through their cheeks, tongues, earlobes and scalps.

 Some had hooks inserted through the skin on their backs to connect them to ropes to enable them to pull a chariot. Others had peircings to carry minute milk pots ( paal kudam).

Women and men carried milkpots on their heads to pay homage to Lord Murugan

 or highly decorated Kavadi ( A cross structure) balanced on the shoulders or a framework on the torso

It was a test of endurance as they walked barefoot or with nails in their shoes as they carried their gifts to the Temple on the hill called Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani.
Along the way there were many small temples, food stalls and musical entertainment.
The  procession left at 1830hrs last night and arrived back at 0600hrs to Penang road where Lord Muruga was housed and  the chariot stored until this time next year.
We were there to see the end of the festivities